Youth-Led Innovation: Bridging Global North & South

Mycellium and the Climate Innovation Challenge in collaboration with Climate Week at Penn are hosting a 60-minute panel discussion on: Next Generation Innovation - Why Young Professionals Matter to Scale Climate Solutions.

Climate startups in the Global South innovate at the front lines of the climate crisis. Yet many startups face capacity constraints and cultural barriers that can slow down their development of business models and partnerships to scale solutions beyond their local context. With the right training and support, these challenges are valuable opportunities for students and early-career professionals from diverse backgrounds to jumpstart careers in climate by applying their technical skills, cultural knowledge, and lived expertise on climate issues to help scale real-world solutions. This panel will convene Climate Innovation Challenge participants from both the Global North and
South to explore how youth-led innovation can generate unique impacts for both youth and climate startups, and what’s needed to support effective collaboration.

Objectives:

• Highlight case studies of impactful youth-led solutions to startups’ challenges
• Identify the knowledge and skills gained from working with climate startups that have been
  most helpful for launching careers in climate
• Discuss lessons learned in recruiting diverse participants and providing logistical and cultural
  support for effective collaboration
• Explore the critical role of cultural competency and cross-cultural communication for global
  scaling of climate solutions